This is a very well written insight in to old age and the feelings which accompany such a decline in vitality and 'usefulness'.

You were right in the concern that it might be a little confusing to read when I don't know all the characters and references, but I am blown away by your sensitivity in handling the characters well past their superhero prime, with all the issues old age brings:

Cynicism,

Bitterness at the evil which seems to prosper,

Awareness that one is no longer beautiful powerful or worthy of admiration,

Waiting for death and what lies beyond,

Watching those who carry on the work make choices we would not make,

Finding a sense of peace in knowing each of us is just one part of God's over-arching plan, a plan which WILL end in good triumphing over evil even if for a time it seems to be the underdog...

I feel sad that Bruce is still carrying that feeling of responsibility for things he cannot change. I understand his anger. I am glad he, and others like him, have friends like Amanda praying for him. I am also comforted by the fact that noone, no matter how bitter they might be against God, is beyond the reach of his forgiveness.

I think Bruce is there is no god but when I meet him he better have a very good explanation

I will always prefer villains who at least have a point and frighteningly may even be right about everyone being better off under their benevolent dictatorship (of course make education great so the common man does know what is best for him and his children's children and democratic republicanism can work) like Ra's al Ghul if the environment isn't brought into balance no matter the means or cost the future for the human race will be worse than any dystopian fiction and will lead to the extinction of the human race not through misadventure but suicide through stupidity or Lex Luthor who as he says if he was calling all the shots could end famine and cure cancer and he could his mind is capable of anything perhaps give everyone ultra high-tech non polluting technology and maybe even superpowers lead humanity and the rest of the universe to unimaginable glory remember Red Son he united all humanity and led us to a golden age that lasted millions of years

A lot of villains seem unaware that if they used their mind and/or other talents for legitimate business causes or the government could be far more profitable than any crime spree

Of course vigilantes can be sanctimonious hypocrites judging others and letting themselves go unscrutinized condemning others when they do the same thing for less reasons I think it is disgusting they don't share their scientific breakthroughs with the scientific specifically medical community or their skills with law enforcement agencies far more good than beating up thugs and psychos fight crime at its source ignorance and poverty. I realize due to rarity and complexity mass production may not always be possible or at least cost effective and due to difficulty not all could take brutal training but a little bit could go a very, very long way. The ability to think of future generation when calculating pragmatic utilitarianism is what separates us from the animals. The world is not the way it is because of thugs and psychopaths, corrupt businessmen/politicians (which contrary to fiction are the exception not the rule) but because most people are too stupid to know what is best for them the extreme left and extreme right get caught up in their ideals and refuse to acknowledge brutal facts of reality no real world understanding of the extreme complexities of politics, economics, technological logistics, and how they’re all interconnected in the long run. People want everything right here right now the whole world just handed to them on a silver platter think just by complaining something will happen without a tangible plan. Such a plan will require a lot of long, hard, boring work all day every day for generations.

I'm glad the government has Suicide Squad, Cadmus, Checkmate, the Elite, Amanda Waller, and the new female Spy Smasher, I'd include the Secret Six but I think from now on even if they're not going to be full fledged villains they stood up to the worse villains and are pure mercenaries I think

This was a little depressing in some ways, but it's something I could definitely see being put in as a tie-in to Epilogue (even though Epilogue was actually its own tie-in XD) but in any case this was a really great oneshot.

The last part was so funny! "Or the Devil." Lol. I enjoyed reading the fic. Very well written, and both characters were in character. Thank you for the good read. I've seen all the episodes of Batman, The New Adventures of Batman, Batman Beyond, any episodes of static shock that had crossed over with the three series, the "Epilogue" episode of JLU, and Return of the Joker. For some reason, reading this fic has taken me back to the early 90's. Oh and I saw Mask of the Phantasm. Again thanks for the great read and the trip through memory lane. Thank you.